

I think it mostly likely that the creators were making a pun on an existing expression and spelling it pew for what I found as pugh. I have an association to this as well, but can't find any evidence. Others may know whether this has anything to do with the cartoon character, Pepe Le Pew, a skunk. Now, I wonder if it isn't related to pfui from German which got anglicized as phooey - also an interjection. might stand for something, but didn't know what. stood for body odor and I think I thought P.U. " P.U.," either use deodorant or keep your arms down! An exclamtion denoting the presence a vile or unpleasant odor.

Many different ways since it first showed up in 1604: “pue,” “peuh,” The Oxford English Dictionary says the exclamation has been spelled This is something kids in the United States used to say all the time as in "P.U., that smells awful!" It shows up that way in the Urban Dictionary.Īccording to this grammar blog the OED has the main listing under pew. Many people, myself included, grew up thinking this might be spelled P.U. a previous question: The word "pew" (P.U., etc.) and positive or neutral connotation Send us feedback.Pugh interjection \a strongly articulated p-sound sometimes trilled & sometimes with a vowel sound following usually read as ˈpü\ĭefinition of pugh -used to express disgust or disdainĬf. We have a board of directors, representative of a variety of interests, which determines the policies and oversees the standards of care and practice of our. These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'whew.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. PHEW is a charity, not for profit organisation, delivering short break care for individuals with long-term, complex physical conditions through an innovative mix of health and social care. We cant give all the details away, but things do get slightly better - phew. Camden Walker, Washington Post, 14 July 2017 See More Not the domestic kind, phew, so dont worry. The Meaning of PHEW YIKES, Expression of shock or surprise YUCK, Expression of disgust Other terms relating to relief: WHEW, Expression of relief or. 2017 But, whew, our hottest day of the summer (so far) is behind us!Ī. Nicole Rockstead agreed to do a 26th year with me.

2018 On the home front my wife signed up for another year ( whew), and my faithful Sancho Panza, Ms. Can be used in conjunction with the word wee. 2017 In it, the cunning Scheherazade staves off her execution by her husband the king, who has a nasty habit of bedding and then slaughtering his brides, by spinning more than a thousand ( whew!) artfully cliff-hanging tales.īen Brantley, New York Times, 2 Apr. Word used to express relief, being tired or express awareness of something being smelly or near overwhelming. phew ( fju) interj an exclamation of relief, surprise, disbelief, weariness, etc Collins English Dictionary Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014 phew (wyu, fyu) interj.
#Phew meaning free
Kayla Daugherty, Detroit Free Press, 15 Oct.

2019 And the view kept getting scarier: first 60% chance of rain, then 90% chance, then - whew - 100% chance for thunderstorms. Mary's Hospital in London.Ĭaroline Picard, Good Housekeeping, 26 Apr. vocalic gesture expressing weariness, etc., attested from c.1600. Ryan O'halloran, The Denver Post, 6 June 2019 Like Prince William, Prince Harry, and many other royals, Lady Gabriella Marina Alexandra Ophelia Windsor ( whew) was born at St. 2019 But, whew, that’s a young group until Emmanuel Sanders (Achilles) returns. This emoji can also let folks know you are hot n’ sweatyfrom exercise, spicy food, or seeing a sexy babe. Or back up a tick and use it to indicate nervousness during tense situations. 2019 To wit: a carnival, classic film fest, auto show, dunk tank, farmer’s market, 5K run and kids dash, and even a Sunday pancake breakfast ( whew!). The grinning face with sweat emoji is used to indicate the particular kind of relief experienced after narrowly avoiding disaster. Recent Examples on the Web The cult fitness-slash-bike-slash-tech-slash-media company ( whew) began trading at $27 per share-but dropped over 14% from its initial price offering at $29 per share (which would earn them over an $8 billion valuation)-closing down over 11%.Īnne Sraders, Fortune, 26 Sep.
